Tape recorder



April 12, 1966 R. ROST 3,245,629

I TAPE RECORDER Original Filed July 10, 1961 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 POLIME/I INVENTOR.

April 12, 1966 R. L. ROST 3,245,629

TAPE RECORDER Original Filed July 10, 1961 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5| 27 ||vw 22 47 H|| H 5 VII! MI I I, i v I "III' II l 1 L-'-' I I I 53 4' \L l54 I I5 27 I H 5 4 a =I| IIIIIIIIIIIIIII I INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,245,629 TAPE RECORDER Richard L. Rost,Barrington, Ill., assignor to Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Application Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 305,968,which is a division of application Ser. No. 122,916, July 10, 1961, nowPatent No. 3,105,645, dated Oct. 1, 1963. Divided and this applicationDec. 16, 1964, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 242-5513) This is a division of the copending applicationof Richard L. Rost, Serial No. 305,968, filed September 3, 1963, whichin turn is a division of the parent Rost appli cation, Serial No.122,916, filed July 10, 1961, now Patent No. 3,105,645, for TapeRecorder, and all assigned to the same assignee as the presentapplication.

The present invention relates to recording and reproducing devices, andmore specifically, it relates to apparatus for automatically playing oneor a plurality of record-bearing members, such as tapes, eachrespectively housed in a separate cartridge.

There are numerous types of recording and reproducing equipmentavailable and they may be readily divided into two basic classes. In thefirst class there are those devices which employ two interchangeablereels and have a transport mechanism which moves the record, be it tapeor wire, from reel to reel. In the second class there are those deviceswhich employ magazines containing the records. The simplest of devicesof the latter class employs a cartridge containing both a supply reelhaving the record wound thereon and a take-up reel for receiving therecord as it is being played. A preferred device of the magazine typeutilizes cartridges, individually having a record wound upon a supplyreel therein, in conjunction with a single take-up reel serving allcartridges that are played and is capable of automatically playing aplurality of such cartridges. The present invention is concerned withapparatus having particular utility in conjunction with recording andreproducing mechanisms of the latter type.

In the copending applications of Richard G. Schmid, Serial No. 122,929,now Patent No. 3,136,464, Ralph W. Galke et al., Serial No. 122,715, nowUS. Patent No. 3,170,651, Eugene J. Polley et al., Serial No. 122,930,now Patent No. 3,105,646, Maurice E. Hardy, Serial No. 122,934, now US.Patent No. 3,164,331 and Maurice E. Hardy et a1., Serial No. 122,933,new Patent No. 3,107,- 835, all filed concurrently with theabove-mentioned parent Rost application and assigned to the sameassignee as the present invention, there are described and claimeddevices and apparatus which are closely related to the presentinvention.

It is an object of this invention to provide recording and reproducingapparatus which reduces the operators functions to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide tape recording apparatuswhich is both inexpensive to manufacture and utilizes a minimum numberof components.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cartridge spindlewhich allows cartridges having minor hub deficiencies to be playedwithout causing the reeling device to malfunction.

In accordance with the invention, apparatusfor winding and reeling tapeis arranged to accommodate supply reels having certain imperfectionsthat otherwise could result in jamming. The supply reel has a centrallylocated mounting aperture for accepting a driving spindle and a collaris disposed concentrically of the spindle having an outer diametermatching the mounting aperture of the supply reel. The collar also hasprovisions for effecting a mechanical driving connection to a supply3,245,629 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 reel mounted thereon, and there aremeans for mechanically coupling the collar to the spindle while allowingfor movement independent of the spindle in a direction transversethereof.

The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are setforth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood,however, by reference to the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which likereference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the apparatusof the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a cartridge of the g pe preferablyemployed with the apparatus of FIG- FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional viewof the supply cartridge storage well taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1;and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section taken along lines 44 ofFIGURE 3.

The apparatus of FIGURE 1 may be used for transcribing tape, wire orother flexible recording media but, as illustrated, is employed forrecording and reproducing on tape. The arrangement is a tape check ortransport which has, as major component parts, one or more cartridges 10of tape, a storage bin 11 for accommodating such cartridges and afeeding mechanism 18 to present the cartridges seriatim to a playingposition, a take-up arrangement including a reel 12 through which tapeis presented in coupling or reading relation to a magnetic transducerhead 13, a driving system including a capstan 19 and an associatedpressure roller 20 to effect winding of the tape as between the supplyand take-up reels, and a programming arrangement through which theseveral functions are properly correlated in a playing cycle. As thepresent invention is concerned primarily with a novel cartridge spindleconstruction, the remaining elements of the tape mechanism will only bedescribed to the extent necessary to provide an environment for thesubject invention. A further description of these members may be had byreference to the aforementioned related applications.

The tape cartridge 10 may take any of a variety of specificallydifferent configurations, a suitable one being represented in FIGURE 2.In addition to being 9. vehicle for program tape, the cartridge is tosatisfy other important requirements. Since it is contemplated that themachine may accommodate one or a series of cartridges within storage bin11, the abutting or contiguous surfaces of successive cartridgesarranged in a stack should preferably have provisions to facilitatetheir nesting with respect to one another in a stable stack. It isfurther desirable that the cartridge be formed to facilitate thesequential feed of a group of cartridges to a playing position withinbin 11 and additionally it is preferred that the cartridge have a brakewhich precludes the unwinding of the tape when the cartridge is stored.

As represented, the cartridge is formed of a pair of es-' sentiallyrectangular rigid plates with a peripheral flange of such depth that theplates, superposed with their flanges in meeting engagement, define acavity to accommodate the desired number of convolutions of a magnetictape of a specified width. Machine screws may retain the plates inassembled relation. The projection 14 on the top surface of onecartridge face may be received by complementary recesses in the bottomsurface of a like cartridge stacked on top of that illustrated in orderto achieve an interlocking of the cartridges in a stack. The cartridgeplates have a formed section at one side to define a shelf 15 whichadapts the cartridge to a sequential feed mechanism presently to beconsidered. For balancing purposes, a generally similar shelf 16 isformed in the diametrically opposite portion of the cartridge. Each ofthe plates of the cartridge has a centrally located aperture; aperture17 of one plate is larger than aperture 21 of the other as shown moreclearly in FIGURE 3. A hub 22 is interposed between. the plates with areduced diameter section thereof received within aperture 17. The innerdiameter of the hub corresponds to the diameter of plate aperture 21 andthey collectively define a channelway for accepting a spindle assembly23, that is, for permitting the cartridge to be threaded over a spindlewithin storage bin 11. The inner periphery of hub 22 bears a series offormed slots or keyways 35 which are the means through which amechanical driving connection may be completed to the hub. from adriving spindle.

The hub 22 is rotatably supported within the cartridge and convolutionsof the tape material are coiled thereabout. In order to aflix the innerend of the tape, hub 22 has a slot 24 leading to a hole 25. Theinnermost end of the tape may be inserted through the slot into the holeand locked in place by the insertion of a pin 26. The free end of themagnetic tape 27 terminates in a coupler 31 which appears clearly inFIGURE 2 where, for purposes of illustration, a short section of tape 27is shown withdrawn from the confines of the cartridge. The coupler has abifurcated configuration which defines a channelway 32 into which amating coupler 33 known as an extractor, may be inserted to couple tape27 to a take-up reel 12 as shown in FIGURE 1. Normally, the tape iscompletely confined within the cartridge with channelway 32 in alignmentwith a similar channelway 34 formed in the corner of the cartridge.

A storage bin is secured to a deck 36 of the recording apparatus and isa generally rectangular cylinder dimensioned and formed to accept one ormore cartridges with the cartridges horizontally disposed as representedin FIGURE 3. The cylinder is open at the top and has a platform 37disposed below that opening. The platform is normally biased in thedirection of the open end by springs 38 but recedes toward the bottom ofthe well as cartridges are loaded into the bin. Pins (not shown) extendhorizontally from depending flange sections of platform 37 and protrudethrough opposed slots in the bin to guide the platform movement.

. In addition to serving as a container for the cartridges, bin 11accommodates the spindle assembly 23 through which the hub of thecartridge in the playing position may be driven. The spindle assemblyhas a sleeve portion 39 shown in FIGURE 3 which extends throughout mostof the depth of the bin, passing through a centrally located aperture inplatform 37 to permit axial movement of the platform relative to thespindle. Within sleeve 39 is a drive spindle 40 which carries a collarnear the bottom of the bin through which a clutch mechanism effects adrive connection (not shown).

' Stationary sleeve 39 is terminated at its upper end in a bearing 41which has a centrally disposed aperture for receiving drive spindle 40.The upper surface of element 41 defines the general location of theplaying position of cartridges within the storage bin. Disposedimmediately above the bearing surface of element 41 is a collar 42 and acap 43 is placed over this collar. The cap is connected to the end ofdrive spindle 40 through a machine screw 44 and its end is tapered tofacilitate threading cartridges thereover. The periphery of collar 42contiguous to end cap 43 has spaced opposed recesses 45 which receive apair of depending drive fingers 46 extending downwardly from cap 43.This establishes a mechanical coupling from spindle 40 through cap 43 tocollar 42 and slots 45 are slightly wider than drive fingers 46 so thatthere is a relatively free driving connection between them. The obverseface of collar 42 is spherically curved to rest on the bearing surfaceof element 41.

With this driving connection, cap 43 rotates collar 42 and at the sametime permits movement of the collar about its curved bottom surface in aplane substantially transverse to the rotational axis of the drivespindle which contributes a self-aligning feature and permits themechanism to accommodate cartridges which may have imperfections that,in the absence of this freedom of transverse motion, would tend to bindand stall the machine. A coil spring 47 interposed within collar 42 andcap 43 urges the collar into coaxial alignment with spindle 40.

The described driving connection is extended from collar 42 to hub 22 ofthe cartridge instantaneously in the playing position by means of a pin48 afiixed to the collar and accepted by one of the slots 35 of thecartridge hub as shown in FIGURE 4. If drive pin 48 is not in alignmentwith a slot in the cartridge hub at the moment the cartridge is fed tothe playing position, the pin, which is shown in FIGURE 4, recedeswithin collar 42 against the bias of an annular spring 49 upon which thepin is supported. When it is desirable to extend the mechanical drivingconnection to hub 22 of that particular cartridge, collar 42 rotatesuntil pin 48 comes into alignment with one of the slots 35. At thattime, it enters the slot and completes the mechanical connection.

In describing the loading of cartridges into the bin, it will be assumedinitially that there are no cartridges therein and that platform 37 isin its uppermost position. The mounting aperture of the first cartridgeis slipped over cap 43 of the spindle assembly and pushed downwardly. Ifthe channelway 34 is properly aligned adjacent housing 50, the cartridgemay be inserted further by pushing to overcome springs 38, otherwiseinsertion of the cartridge is blocked. Once the cartridge has beeninserted sufficiently to place shelves 15 and 16 thereof beneath thelevel of stop abutments 51 and 52,. respectively, the downward pressureon the cartridge may be relaxed because the cartridge will now beretained within the bin. It will be retained at the playing level by theinfluence of platform 37 which urges the cartridge upwardly against therestraining effect of stop abutments 51 and 52 which overlie stopshoulders 15 and 16 .once the cartridge has been inserted to asuflicient depth in the bin. A series of cartridges may be loaded in thesame manner, stacked one upon another on the spindle assembly until asmany as desired have been stored, up to the capacity of the bin. Thecartridges will be accepted in the bin only in that orientation whichlocates their coupler termination 31 properly to achieve a couplingconnection with the companion coupler or extractor when any storedcartridge is to be transcribed in a manner to be described hereinafter.

As indicated in FIGURE 3, there is an additional element 53 which mayproject into the bin to preclude adding cartridges to the supply. It isof course desirable to preclude adding cartridges during the time aparticular cartridge is being transcribed. Lever 53 is preferablycontrolled by a programming arrangement and rests un der self 15 of thecartridge instantaneously in the playing position throughout its play.At other times, however, lever 53 is withdrawn so that the feeding ofcartridges may take place both into and out'of the bin.

The sequential presentation of cartridges stored Within .bin 11 to theplaying position thereof involves the retraction of stop abutments 51and 52 to release the cartridge instantaneously in the playing positionand, at the same time, the introduction of a third stop abutment 54 intothe feed path of the cartridges so that the stack has restrictedmovement, limited to advancing substantially only the thickness of onecartridge in each feed cycle. Only a portionv of the mechanism forcarrying out this process is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, but a completedescription may be had by reference to the above-mentioned relatedapplications. Thus, the novel spindle assembly prevents binding orlocking of the cartridges possible when placing them over conventionaldrive posts. As shown,

the invention is especially useful and, in fact, a practical necessityin the environment of a confined storage or well area.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made without departing from the invention inits broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims isto cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding and reeling tape stored on a supply reel havinga centrally located mounting aperture comprising:

a spindle;

a collar disposed concentrically of said spindle having an outerdiameter corresponding to the mounting aperture of said supply reel andhaving provisions for effecting a mechanical driving connection to asupply reel mounted thereon;

and means for mechanically coupling said collar to said spindle foruniversal movement independent of said spindle in a direction transversethereof.

2. Apparatus for winding and reeling tape stored on a supply reel havinga centrally located mounting aperture comprising:

a rotatable spindle;

a collar disposed concentrically of said spindle having a curvedmounting surface and an outer diameter corresponding to the mountingaperture of said supply reel and further having provisions for effectinga mechanical driving connection to a supply reel mounted thereon;

a bearing disposed concentrically upon said spindle and forming asupporting surface for accepting said mounting surface of said collar;

means for mechanically coupling said collar to said spindle foruniversal rotation therewith and for movement independent of saidspindle in a direction transverse thereof;

and means for rotating said spindle.

3. Apparatus for winding and reeling tape stored on a supply reel havinga centrally located mounting aperture comprising:

a rotatable spindle;

a collar disposed concentrically of said spindle having a curvedmounting surface and an outer diameter matching the mounting aperture ofsaid supply reel;

a bearing disposed concentrically around said spindle and forming asupporting surface for accepting said mounting surface of said collar;

2. drive lug resiliently mounted in said collar and extending outwardlytherefrom for effecting a mechanical driving connection to a supply reelmounted thereon;

a cap connected to said spindle for rotation therewith;

means for mechanically coupling said collar to said cap for rotationtherewith and for movement independent of said cap and said spindle in adirection transverse thereof;

resilient means for biasing said collar away from said and means forrotating said spindle.

4. Apparatus for winding and reeling tape stored on a supply reel havinga centrally located mounting aperture comprising:

a mechanically rotatable spindle having a predetermined axis ofrotation;

a collar disposed concentrically of said spindle having a curvedmounting surface and an outer diameter corresponding to the mountingaperture of said supply reel;

a bearing disposed concentric said axis of said spindle and forming asupporting surface for accepting said mounting surface of said collar;

a drive lug resiliently monted in said collar for effecting a mechanicaldriving connection to a supply reel mounted thereon;

a cap connected to said spindle having a projection extending into saidcollar for effecting a driving connection and providing for movement ofsaid collar independent of said cap and said spindle in a directiontransverse thereof;

and means for rotating said spindle.

5. Apparatus for winding and reeling tape stored on a supply reel havinga centrally located mounting aperture comprising:

a rotatable spindle;

a bearing surface and a collar, including a mounting surface engagingsaid bearing surface, each mounted concentrically of said spindle, oneof said surfaces being of a spherical curvature for permittingsubstantially unimpeded universal movement of said collar in a directiontransverse to the axis of said spindle;

and means for mechanically coupling said collar to said spindle forrotation therewith without materially inhibiting said transversemovement of said collar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,002,707 10/1961Noble 2 4268.3

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND REELING TAPE STORED ON A SUPPLY REEL HAVINGA CENTRALLY LOCATED MOUNTING APERTURE COMPRISING: A SPINDLE; A COLLARDISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY OF SAID SPINDLE HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETERCORRESPONDING TO THE MOUNTING APERTURE OF SAID SUPPLY REEL AND HAVINGPROVISIONS FOR EFFECTING A MECHANICAL DRIVING CONNECTION TO A SUPPLYREEL MOUNTED THEREON; AND MEANS FOR MECHANICALLY COUPLING SAID COLLAR TOSAID SPINDLE FOR UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT INDEPENDENT OF SAID SPINDLE IN ADIRECTION TRANSVERSE THEREOF.